Air force, air defense army to be set up within Russia's Northern Fleet

July 25 2015

Interfax

Interfax

The Russian Northern Fleet's shore-based component has been significantly reinforced over the past half a year during which it has functioned as a multi-service strategic force, Navy Commander Admiral Vladimir Korolyov told journalists on July 25, in the run-up to Navy Day to be celebrated in Russia on July 26.

"The newly-formed Arctic motorized infantry brigade has joined the shore component, and we have also transformed a marine regiment into a brigade," Korolyov said.

"The fleet's capabilities to perform air defense tasks have also been significantly upgraded," he said.

"An air defense division and a composite air regiment have joined the fleet. However, this all is only the beginning of significant structural transformations being carried out within the Northern Fleet in view of expanding its duties related to the protection of the Russian Federation's interests in the Arctic. We have started to work on setting up an air and air defense army within the Northern Fleet's composition," he said.

The Russian Northern Fleet is actively engaged in combat training in the Arctic, in which all of its components are involved, Korolyov added. "We have prepared the state-of-the-art strategic missile-carrying submarines Yury Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky, and Vladimir Monomakh to perform their duties in the Arctic seas this year. The Northern Fleet's anti-submarine aircraft patrol the Arctic Ocean's seas on a regular basis. Our naval and support ships annually conduct Arctic missions. However, we concentrate above all on training shore forces to act in Arctic conditions," he said.